Celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month

North Carolina names musician Branford Marsalis as state spokesperson

CHICAGO- In celebration of Library Card Sign-up Month, which kicked off yesterday, the State Library of North Carolina will host a press conference and so young adults can meet and ask questions of world-renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis, this year’s spokesperson.
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For the past three years, the state library has selected a celebrity to champion the library card as the most important card in every North Carolinian’s wallet. In previous years, the state library recruited co-captain of the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team Kevyn Adams and actress Andie MacDowell .

This year, 57 public library systems in the state have signed up to promote the campaign. In 2006, 67% reported an increase in their library card registrations as a result of the campaign.

“The reason I created this program was so librarians could easily develop their own cost effective PR campaign,” said Pam Jaskot, library consultant for communications at the State Library of North Carolina. “Libraries across the state have taken the program and made it their own.”

On a national level the American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries recruited Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a prolific author, to be the Honorary Chair for Library Card Sign-up Month. Librarians can download audio and print PSAs featuring Abdul-Jabbar and help promote their library and library services.

Held in September, Library Card Sign-up Month is a time to remind parents and children that a library card is the most important school supply of all. Library Card Sign-up Month was launched in 1987. Since then, thousands of public and school libraries join in a national effort each fall to ensure every child does just that. Free tools to help libraries promote Library Card Sign-up Month are available at
www.ala.org/librarycardsignup.

The Campaign for America's Libraries is the ALA's public awareness campaign about the value of libraries and librarians. For more information on the Campaign visit
www.ala.org/@yourlibrary .